Page 7 of Ex- Factor
I didn’t know what to do with this. I wasn’t used to honesty from a man.
A beat of silence passed before he spoke again.
“So what happened?” he asked, voice low. “Since the club. With him. Your eyes aren’t so sad anymore.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re nosy.”
“I am. West told you that. And I’m persistent.”
“I don’t want to tell it,” I said honestly. “It’s embarrassing.”
“Tell me anyway.”
I turned toward him, one leg bent up on the comforter.
“You’re pushy. But what happened was… he got married. To my ex-best friend.”
His brows lifted slightly. “Really? One of the women at the club?”
I nodded. “Yes. They got a baby on the way and everything. Real happily-ever-after type shit. Or so it seems on Instagram. My loss always seems to be another woman’s win.”
Silas stared at me for a beat, then said, “What’s his name and address?”
“What you mean?” I asked.
“I’ll go beat his ass.”
I laughed. Loud and real.
“You sound crazy.”
“Not crazy. I just don’t like to think about you hurting.”
“You don’t even know me.”
“Don’t need to,” he said. “He hurt you. That’s enough.”
I looked at him for a while. Let the silence fill the room between us.
The rain picked up again outside, tapping harder on the windows.
He didn’t say anything else. Just stayed there. Existing. Calmly.
I should’ve been suspicious of this man, saying all the right things, but for some reason… I wasn’t.
“You’re different,” I whispered.
“Is that a good thing?” he asked.
I nodded. “We’ll see.”
We talked after that. Not about Donte.
About dumb stuff. About Ekon.
I told him about my granny and how much I missed her.
Eventually, my eyes got heavy. My words slowed. I could feel myself drifting, my body relaxing into the mattress.
